Chad. Although John was quite sure the name was fake, that didn't matter. Before he could say a ' thank you ', Flambae continued. ' โฆAnd don't run ahead like that. If he has some fucking freakout or something, fire stops it better than bullets. ' For the first time, he felt a ripple of genuine annoyance; he hated being treated as if he was stupid. Nevertheless, a comment tinged with levity slipped past John's lips as he said, "If you think that was running, then you should see me jog." His tone wasn't caustic, but he forced himself to shut his mouth anyway. If his humor was misconstrued as combative, he could make this already flimsy partnership worse.
As Flambae approached the door, melting the ice on the handle before pushing it open, John metered his steps so that they remained side-by-side. The scene awaiting them within was reminiscent of the kitchen and hallway: ice spiderwebbed across the windows while a sheet of it covered the floor. It was freezing, and he was grateful for the warmth of Flambae's hand seeping through his coat; even though it was only done for the sake of the whole Fed with frostbite thing, he still appreciated it. The room was furnished as an office of sorts, and on a small couch situated against the opposite wall lay a woman who appeared to be unconscious, her skin much too pale, while her brother hovered nearby. Instantly, their entrance sent Simon whipping around to face them. "Who the fuck are you?" Although Simon didn't seem menacing at a glance ( young, tall but thin, with glasses askew and wide eyes ), the wind outside fairly howled in unison with the inquiry hurled at them.
Holding his hands up, John said, "My name's John, and this is Chad. We want to help, if you'll let us." If they humanized themselves first, there was a better chance of lowering Simon's guard more quickly. Yes, Flambae was flashy and attractive in a manner that probably brought reassurance in other scenarios, yet at the moment? It might come across as threatening should they burst in as Agent Myers and Flambae. John and Chad didn't sound like a facade for two people who came here expecting a fight. They sounded real.
"Yeah, right." Simon was angry, but there was fear there, too. "You want to arrest me, don't you? Or maybe you're just gonna try to kill me." Okay, so it was like that. With one palm still up, John pulled out his firearm ( careful not to hold it in any way that might suggest he was about to use it ). "We don't want to hurt you." Crouching down to place the gun on the floor, he tipped his chin in the direction of the couch. "That's your sister, right? What's her name?" He already knew the answer, though he nodded his head while Simon, gaze narrowing said, "Evie. Her name's Evie." As he stood up, he kicked the weapon behind him and back into the hallway. "Did she move to Los Angeles 'cause the weather's better? If you like all the sun and heat, anyway. But I mean, we both know it's more fun here than in Newark." Now Simon was staring at him like he was crazy. "Why didn't you move here, too?" C'mon, talk to me. "Yeah," Simon spoke slowly, suspicion still evident but belligerence replaced by uncertainty. "Evie always says Newark is dreary. And her boyfriend's here. But I didn't want to leave my teaching job in New Jersey."
Yes, there we go! "You're a teacher? That's awesome." It would be better if they could keep the conversation going, but this wasn't an ' ideal ' hostage negotiation; Evie Anders probably had hypothermia, and they didn't have time to build a better bridge than what they currently had. As Simon nodded, John continued, "Teachers do a lot to help other people. But you came here so she could help you, didn't you?" Simon looked stricken before saying, "When I got here, she said that we should call someone. I'd thought she was gonna protect me, you know? And we started arguing, and I couldn't control this โ all of this!" Simon gestured wildly. "I followed her in here, and she was on the phone with the fucking cops! The power went out and she was trying to get away from me like she didn't even know me, like I'm a monster!"
"I know you didn't mean to hurt your sister. I can tell you love her." Personal reservations were of no consequence right now; Simon needed someone to understand, and that was what John would do. "With Chad's powers, he can try to help her." Suddenly, Simon was on edge again; the man gripped Evie's arm, and she started to shiver. "Hey, you can show her that you're still you by letting Chad help her. Will any of this matter if she's dead?"
Simon's eyes darted from him to Flambae, clearly thinking. "What're you gonna do to her?" Stepping closer to the couch, as if guarding her despite the fact that it was their proximity that was harming her, Simon tacked on, "Can you do it from over there?"